By Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) Seventy-two years ago, this week—on April 7, 1948—the World Health Organization (WHO) was founded to organize global responses to infectious disease pandemics that respect no national boundaries. Its effectiveness depends heavily on the good will of its member states, and the competence and trustworthiness of its leadership. The coronavirus pandemic revealed China’s malign influence on the leadership of WHO, and a glaring accountability and transparency deficit at WHO... Read more

By Chris Smith - Published 10:31 a.m. ET April 15, 2020 Seventy-two years ago, this week—on April 7, 1948—the World Health Organization (WHO) was founded to organize global responses to infectious disease pandemics that respect no national boundaries. Its effectiveness depends heavily on the good will of its member states, and the competence and trustworthiness of its leadership. The coronavirus pandemic revealed China’s malign influence on the leadership of WHO, and a glaring accountability and... Read more

As part of their effort to amend the critical COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program and both labor and business member organizations to tap into the loan program and sustain staff during the economic crisis, Reps. Chris Smith and Donald Norcross have sent a bipartisan letter cosigned by the entire NJ Congressional Delegation to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Leader Kevin McCarthy, Leader Mitch McConnell, and Leader Chuck Schumer. The letter recognizes the leadership’s bipartisan work to pass the first thr... Read more

More than $24 million has been approved for institutions of higher learning and career institutes in the Monmouth, Ocean and Mercer areas of Rep. Chris Smith’s Fourth Congressional District to help these schools and their students overcome the costs and the impact of the coronavirus, said Smith today. The $24 million on its way to educational facilities in or bordering Smith’s district is part of a broader $238 million award to colleges across the state which was announced today by the U.S. Depa... Read more

Hong Kong human rights advocates who have worked with Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) on protecting Hong Kong freedom from Chinese government oppression have donated 4,000 high-quality surgical masks to CentraState Medical Center. Anna Cheung, founder of New Yorkers Supporting Hong Kong (NY4HK) and the non-government organization Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC) in Washington helped organize the donation of personal protection equipment, or PPE. “We Hong Kongers are very grateful for Congressm... Read more

By Jonathan Salant, Star Ledger/NJ.com staff writer - Hong Kong human rights activists have donated 4,000 surgical masks to a Freehold hospital fighting the coronavirus crisis to thank the New Jersey congressman who has been a staunch advocate on Capitol Hill. The donation to CentraState Medical Center in Freehold was organized by the Hong Kong Democracy Council and New Yorkers Supporting Hong Kong, two U.S.-based groups supporting the pro-democracy protesters fighting the Chinese government’s e... Read more

In a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and the NIH’s (NIH) National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Disease Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, Rep. Chris Smith thanked Azar and Fauci for their tireless work on COVID-19 while expressing his concerns that chronic suffers of Lyme could be particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. “As you know, my home state of New Jersey has been ravaged by COVID-19—as of April 9 there have been 51,027 confirmed positive cases and 1,700 ha... Read more

The federal government will continue to run and support two free coronavirus test sites in New Jersey despite original plans to turn them over to state and local authorities, said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), who led congressional efforts to keep the sites open beyond today, Friday, April 10, the date federal emergency officials had planned to leave. “I was pleased to co-lead this bipartisan effort with Rep. Josh Gottheimer to ensure that FEMA stays operational at the federal testing sites in Monmo... Read more

Mike Davis, Asbury Park Press - Two community health centers received millions in federal funds to fight the spread of COVID-19, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-4, announced. Ocean Health Initiatives, located on Second Avenue, will receive $1.18 million and the Lakewood Resource and Referral Center, on Madison Avenue, will receive $1.28 million, Smith said. The funding was included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and. Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, a $2 trillion stimulus bill passed by Congress ... Read more

Two dozen community health centers in New Jersey, including two health centers in Lakewood, have been awarded an added $25 million in federal funds to help combat the impact of the coronavirus, said Rep. Chris Smith. Smith said the funding—$25,132,155 which will help pay for coronavirus expenses, including costs associated with prevention, preparedness and response to COVID-19—comes from the comprehensive, bipartisan $2 trillion stimulus bill to help communities devastated by the coronavirus pan... Read more